Grant Hill, one of four offensive linemen in Alabama's 2013 class, is looking forward to meeting new Tide offensive line coach Mario Cristobal. (Eric Schultz/eschultz@al.com)

Grant Hill hasn't even gotten to Tuscaloosa yet and he's already going through a coaching change.

The Huntsville High senior, one of four offensive linemen in Alabama's 2013 class, learned Monday that the Crimson Tide was reportedly hiring former FIU head coach Mario Cristobal to replace Jeff Stoutland as its offensive line coach. Stoutland left last week to become the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line coach.

Hill said he doesn't know Cristobal, but he doesn't expect the change to affect him much.

"I haven't even been in the program yet, so I haven't really been under anybody yet," said Hill, who had talked with Stoutland throughout his recruitment. "(Cristobal) has some head coaching experience and some good leadership skills. Coming from Miami -- and coach Stoutland was from there as well -- it'll be kind of the same in some regards."

The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Hill said Monday that he has not talked with Cristobal yet, but hopes to "in the next couple of days." While two other 2013 offensive line signees, Leon Brown and Brandon Hill, are already on campus in Tuscaloosa, Hill is utilizing Alabama's workout program on his own in Huntsville and also plans to throw shot and discus for his high school track team this spring.

When he gets to Tuscaloosa, he suspects there won't be a whole lot of difference with the way the Crimson Tide's offensive line works in the trenches.

"It's going to be run through coach (Nick) Saban," Hill said. "It's his program."

Meanwhile, one of the top in-state offensive line prospects for the Class of 2014, Homewood's Jordan Sims, is eager to see what the coaching change might mean for him. The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder does not have an Alabama offer yet but said the Tide's coaches "seemed to like me" when he attended Alabama's junior day earlier this month.

Sims said he's impressed with the track record of Cristobal, who led FIU to records of 7-6 in 2010 and 8-5 in 2011 before being fired after a 3-9 season in 2012.

"He played tackle for Miami and won two national championships (1989 and 1991)," Sims said of Cristobal. "I've heard he's had quite a lot of success (as a coach)."

Sims, who has offers from Florida State, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Oregon, UCLA, UAB and South Alabama, said he hopes to sign somewhere close to home -- "if not in-state, one of the bordering states" -- and plans to attend junior days at Auburn, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.

As for Alabama, he's hoping to meet Cristobal sometime in the coming months.

"I just want to be able to get to know him better," Sims said. "I want to be able to have a good relationship with (the offensive line coach), so that definitely plays a role in where I want to go to college."

UPDATE: Sims said via text message on Tuesday that he has now been offered by Alabama. He added an offer from Duke on Wednesday.